Global Service Corps Initiates Sustainable Agriculture Program, Educates Farmers about Organic Farming

Gardeners tend an organic plot in Tanzania

"Since the launch of the project, farmers and community leaders have been approaching GSC to request assistance with learning to farm organically."

Tanzania is a long way from the Bay Area - geographically, culturally, climactically, and agriculturally - as Molly Pulsifer was reminded as she struggled to hang on to the side of a packed daladala (commuter bus) speeding up the Moshi-Nairobi Road. Pulsifer is the Tanzania In-Country Program Coordinator for San Francisco-based Global Service Corps, which arranges volunteer projects abroad for adults. She and two volunteers have been working in and around Arusha, Tanzania to launch GSC's Sustainable Agriculture Program. The program will begin accepting volunteers in January.

To learn about regional farming practices, Pulsifer and volunteers Mathew Elkin and Joe Lambro spent several weeks interviewing farmers and members of women's groups, as well as attending village committee meetings. The main concern that emerged from their research was farmers' increasing reliance on pesticides and chemical fertilizers. The heavy use of chemicals has had devastating effects, including soil degradation and erosion. Also, pests eventually become resistant to the chemicals.

Organic sustainable agriculture, with its focus on small-scale farms and on local environmental sustainability, is one possible alternative to the current unsustainable methods. GSC's Sustainable Agriculture Program educates farmers about the biointensive method of organic farming. Using this method, farmers dig deep, hand-dug garden beds that produce yields two to six times higher than those of standard mechanized agriculture. Biointensive farming uses only small amounts of water, organic compost, energy and space. While the initial work requires more than that of a traditional plot, the work and input are significantly reduced over the long run.

GSC is currently creating an organic plot in Tengeru to demonstrate organic farming techniques to local farmers and to GSC volunteers. In the future, GSC will assist in the creation of new garden plots in other communities. Since the launch of the project, farmers and community leaders have been approaching GSC to request assistance with learning to farm organically.

GSC hopes to integrate the Sustainable Agriculture Program into its already-established HIV/AIDS Education Program, which is also based in Arusha. GSC will educate HIV/AIDS victims about the importance of proper immune-system health and provide victims with immune-boosting organic foods from the gardens.

For more information, contact Global Service Corps at (415) 788-3666 or gsctanzania@earthisland.org.